Electrical Design Engineer

Protential Resources; Monaghan; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension contribution

Annual leave

Training support

Direct access to management

Job summary

Protential Resources is seeking an experienced Electrical Design Engineer to own the electrical scope of our machine range. You will design control panels, develop schematics, program PLC-controlled equipment and provide on-site technical support.

You will work in a small team, balance CAD work with shop-floor activity, and drive improvements across design, manufacture, and procurement processes while ensuring CE compliance.

Qualifications

• Design electrical control panels and machine wiring in a manufacturing context.
• Create and maintain electrical schematics, BOMs and wiring standards.
• Proven experience in PLC programming and fault-finding on machinery.
• Understanding of machine safety, CE marking and EN standards.

Responsibilities

• Design electrical panels and wiring diagrams for vertical balers and compactors.
• Write, test and document PLC programs and HMI configurations.
• Manage build of control panels from BOM release to testing.
• Source components, maintain BOMs, and liaise with suppliers.
• Produce electrical technical files and support risk assessments.

Skills

Electrical design

PLC programming

HMI configurations

Team player

Communication skills

Education

Electrical/Automation degree

Electrical trade qualification

Tools

AutoCAD Electrical

EPLAN

SolidWorks Electrical

Job description

We are looking for an experienced Electrical Design Engineer to take ownership of the electrical side of our machine range. You will design and manage the manufacture of the control panels fitted to our vertical balers and compactors, develop and maintain the electrical schematics, program the PLC-controlled machines, and act as the go‑to technical expert when customers or distributors need support with an electrical issue.

This is a hands‑on, varied role in a small engineering team. It suits someone who is comfortable at a CAD workstation in the morning and on the shop floor or on a support call in the afternoon.

Key responsibilities

Design

• Design electrical control panels and machine wiring for our range of vertical baling presses and compactors.
• Produce, modify and control electrical schematics, panel layouts, wiring diagrams and cable schedules using AutoCAD Electrical (or equivalent).
• Specify motors, starters, contactors, inverters, sensors and safety components suited to single-phase and three-phase machines.
• Design safety circuits (E‑stops, interlocked guards and doors, safety relays) in line with machinery safety requirements and CE marking obligations.
• Maintain revision control on drawings, panel BOMs and wiring standards across the product range.

PLC and controls

• Write, modify, test and document PLC programs and HMI configurations for automatic compaction cycles, bale‑full indication, hour counters and fault reporting.
• Commission and fault‑find control systems on machines during build and final test.
• Improve existing control designs to reduce cost, simplify assembly and improve reliability.

Manufacture

• Manage the build of control panels, from BOM release through to wiring, inspection and functional testing.
• Support and upskill the panel wiring and assembly team, and resolve build issues as they arise.
• Ensure panels are tested and documented before dispatch.

Purchasing and suppliers

• Create and maintain accurate panel BOMs.
• Work with suppliers and distributors to source and purchase electrical components, comparing price, lead time, availability and technical fit.
• Identify alternative and second‑source components to protect against lead‑time risk, and manage component obsolescence.
• Provide electrical technical support to customers, distributors and service engineers by phone, email and remotely.
• Diagnose faults from site information, guide corrective action, and issue clear wiring diagrams, spares lists and instructions.
• Feed recurring field issues back into the design to prevent repeat faults.

Documentation

• Produce and maintain electrical sections of technical files, manuals, wiring guides and spare‑parts lists.
• Support risk assessment and compliance documentation for new and modified machines.
• Level 7/8 qualification in Electrical or Automation Engineering, or a recognized electrical trade qualification with strong design experience.
• Proven experience as an electrical design engineer in a machinery, industrial equipment or OEM manufacturing environment.
• Competent in AutoCAD Electrical or a comparable electrical CAD package (EPLAN, SolidWorks Electrical, etc.) for creating and modifying schematics.
• Practical experience programming PLC‑controlled machinery, including commissioning and fault‑finding.
• Solid understanding of electrical motors, motor control, single‑phase and three‑phase power, and machine safety circuits.
• Experience specifying and buying electrical components and building accurate BOMs.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain electrical issues clearly to non‑technical customers and to shop‑floor colleagues.
• A team player who is comfortable taking ownership of their own workload in a small business.
• Experience with hydraulic machinery or press‑type equipment.
• Familiarity with the Machinery Directive/Regulations, EN 60204‑1 and functional safety concepts (performance levels, safety relays).
• Experience with HMI design, inverter/VSD setup or remote machine monitoring.
• Experience of continuous improvement or design‑for‑manufacture initiatives.
• Full driving licence, with willingness to make occasional customer site visits.

What we offer

• A permanent, full‑time on‑site position with a long‑established Irish manufacturer.
• Genuine ownership of the electrical design across a full product range, not one small part of it.
• Company pension contribution and paid annual leave.
• Support for relevant training and professional development.
• Short decision chains and direct access to management.